After the defeat at the Olympics against Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal’s big retirement announcement

Rafael Nadal said he will make a decision about his future “after the Olympics” following a devastating straight sets defeat to old rival Novak Djokovic at the Paris Games on Sunday. Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner and two-time Olympic gold medalist, fought valiantly in the second set against Djokovic. He came back from 4-0 down to 4-4 in the second set, but ended up losing 6-4. “When this tournament ends, I will make the necessary decisions based on my feelings and sensations,” Nadal said after losing 6-1 6-4 in his 60th career meeting with Djokovic.

Novak Djokovic overcame Rafael Nadal’s courageous comeback on Monday in what was likely the latest chapter of their epic tennis rivalry at the Paris Olympics, as Australia’s Ariarne Titmus went for a second pool gold.

With Paris’s glorious blue sky banishing memories of the soggy opening ceremony, the city’s hottest ticket was Roland Garros, with two tennis legends going head-to-head.

King of clay, Nadal always had the advantage over his rival in Paris, but at 38 and with injury concerns slowing him down, he warned he would struggle to be competitive against Djovokic.

This was painfully prescient in the first set, when the relentless Serb defeated his opponent 6-1.

But Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, stormed back in the second, accompanied by a packed Roland Garros crowd, to come from 4-0 down to 4-4 with two breaks of serve.

Djovokic found an extra gear late to claim a 6-1, 6-4 victory, the pair embracing at the net and the popular Nadal waving to the Roland Garros faithful.

Nadal, now 161 years old in the world, said he would decide his future after the Paris Games “based on my feelings”, complaining that he did not “have the legs I had 20 years ago”.

“In 2006, I never thought we would still be facing each other almost 20 years later,” said Djokovic, who admitted he was “very relieved” to have qualified.

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